


Cábalas

by StillNotMeShh



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barisi - Freeform, M/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Nick Amaro/Mike Dodds - Freeform, Olivia Benson/William Dodds - Freeform, Secrets, Traditions, cábalas, squad party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:41:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StillNotMeShh/pseuds/StillNotMeShh
Summary: “Is everything alright?” Sonny was the first to talk.“Yes, everything is… perfectly fine, wh- why do you ask?” Rafael didn’t even look at him, he was nervously trying to “organize” his papers (as if his desk weren’t always a mess)“What’s in the bag?”
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 37





	Cábalas

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Holidays! ☻  
> Now I want to give you guys some context before you read this story.  
> A couple days ago we were talking about New Year with my fam and I thought it would be funny to create a fic including the special cábalas we have for Nochevieja. But that was it, until yesterday when I was talking to Bri and decided it would be a nice idea to make the Barba fandom happy! (and also to make fun of Rafael), so we created two fics including the same prompt/idea: I wrote Barisi and she wrote Barson (I'll link her story on the end note, go check it out if you enjoy both ships like me).  
> I made some research and because we are Latinos, we share a lot of those with Cubans, so my head went places and I made this!  
> I really hope you guys enjoy it and laugh as much as I did ♥
> 
> Note: I mentioned drugs and guns (just a mention nothing graphic)

“Yes _mami_. I know is important.  
_Mami no, no le he dicho y no pienso decirle tampoco._  
It's ridiculous. Ok, _lo siento mami._  
_Si mami, ya mami, te quiero mami_.”

Sonny was making breakfast while Rafael, not so quietly, was talking to his mom. He could infer it was her because he was speaking Spanglish and sounded slightly irritated.

“Morning babe,” Sonny quickly kissed Rafael when he entered the kitchen, gorgeous as ever in his tailored suit. “Coffee on the counter, sandwich on the table, lunch next to your briefcase.”  
“Thanks,” he replied, a hint of worry and anxiousness on his voice. “I have to go, you see there is this… and you already know the... Love you so much, thanks. Everything was delicious _mi amor._ ” Rafael said all of that while walking around the kitchen trying to grab all the food Sonny made for him (which he always considers is too much although he doesn’t complain), he kissed Sonny goodbye and left him even more worried and confused than before.

This last week Rafael had been acting weirdly. Everything was fine until last Thursday when he received a call from his mom. Rafael was very close to her, although he tried to hide it most of the time, he really enjoyed his lunches with her and he would kill Sonny for this one, but he enjoyed being spoiled by Lucia.  
It was Christmas so at first, he thought his mom called because of that. This year she was in Miami with her sisters and since Sonny’s parents were in Italy, they spent Christmas together.  
But then he started to act weird every time his mom called, he even noticed majority use of Spanish and that last mumbled speech confirmed there was something else he was hiding. They have been dating for almost eight months now and since Sonny moved in with him five months ago, he learned a lot about Rafael, including that he mumbles incoherent noises when he is nervous or when is trying to hide something.

* * *

Later that day Sonny was working along with Mike on a case, and they needed warrants, so he thought it’d be nice to maybe grab lunch with Rafael since he forgot his when he left the apartment that morning. He bought his favorite sandwich and knocked on the door because Carmen was out for lunch.

“Babe?” Mike quickly glanced at the blonde detective trying to hold back a laugh. “Oh don’t look at me like that! As if you were not all softie with Nick.” Mike raised his hands in surrender and they went in.

Now what they saw was kind of weird. In a quick motion Rafael grabbed the bag he had on his desk and tossed it on a drawer.  
“Hi! Sonny, Sergeant. To what I owe the pleasure?” He said with a fake smile.

The detectives exchanged a confused look and Mike was the first one to talk. “Counselor, we need some warrants. Now we know, the case is still incomplete, and there are some missing pieces but…” Mike couldn’t even finish because Rafael quickly agreed and said he was going to get those warrants.

That would have been extremely nice of him, but this was not the usual Rafael Barba. Even Mike was surprised because he was ready to fight for those warrants, that doesn’t mean he didn’t accept the miracle and quickly left the office leaving Sonny and Rafael alone because even he could notice Sonny was really worried about something and his lover was clearly hiding that something from him.

“Is everything alright?” Sonny was the first to talk.  
“Yes, everything is… perfectly fine, wh- why do you ask?” Rafael didn’t even look at him, he was nervously trying to “organize” his papers (as if his desk wasn’t always a mess)  
“What’s in the bag?”  
“I assume some sandwiches because it’s lunch time, and the bag has a grease stain and the logo of the café in front and-”  
“Not in my bag Rafael, in yours. The one you tossed on your drawer as if there were drugs or guns inside.”  
“Wh- what bag? I don’t have any bag.” Rafael quickly replied.

Sonny’s blood was boiling because Rafael was clearly lying and now, he was also sure he was hiding something from him. That broke something inside because they’ve been together for a while and he thought they at least trusted each other enough.

“Sonny…” It was too late. The detective left the sandwiches on one of the chairs in Rafael's office and left clearly angry.

Rafael knew Sonny was worried. He had been distant this past week and that bothered his blue-eyed boyfriend. But he had no idea of what to do or how to tell him, it was clearly embarrassing and even silly if you asked him. They had been together for quite some time, but he didn’t want the detective to think he was dating some sort of freak grandpa, especially not now that they were going to spend their first New Year together, not to mention, they were going to a party with the squad at Liv’s house.

“ _Hola cariño_. I- I ordered some pizza, from the place you like, you can… take a shower and I’m sure the pizza will be here when-”  
“We need to talk,” Sonny was hurt, he could tell by the sound of his voice. “I will take a shower ‘cause I stink,” Rafael didn’t want to state that fact, the detective looked as if he had fallen inside a dumpster. Sonny rolled his eyes at the almost imperceptible nod Rafael made. “And then we'll talk.”  
“ _Mierda_ ” Rafael mumbled as Sonny left.  
“I heard that!”

* * *

Rafael was nervously pacing around the living room trying to figure out how he was going to explain Sonny he was dating a 50-year-old freak.

“Ok,” Sonny emerged from their room with his hair still wet and wearing his Fordham hoodie and sweatpants. Rafael’s mouth went dry and had to bite his tongue at the sight of his extremely handsome, and now better scented, boyfriend. “We need to tal- can you please stop looking at me like that?” Rafael quickly nodded and sat on the couch in front of Sonny so they could talk.  
“Rafael, what’s going on?” Sonny asked in a super sweet but still worried voice, Rafael’s heart ached because he felt guilty about everything. Especially because he was causing all this chaos only because he was ashamed Sonny would laugh at him and his nonsense.  
“I know we have been dating for relatively not a long time, but I thought you trusted me enough to share anything, and I really mean anything with me. I was not so worried at first because maybe it was a family matter and I really have nothing to do with-  
“Sonny please don’t say that, you are family to me” Rafael replied almost as if he was asking for mercy.  
“So then what is it?! Cause you are clearly hiding something from me and I’m worrying ‘cause this is affecting the way we live and act around each other! Jesus! Even Mike noticed what was happening and asked if he needed to do some undercover job to discover whatever you are hiding from me!”

Oh fuck it, Sonny was almost crying and Rafael had no other choice than to suck it up, and try to explain his weirdness, the question was, where to start.

“Sonny, the thing is that-”

Rafael’s speech was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell which meant their dinner was here. Sonny got up to open the door.  
“There’s cash on my wallet!” Rafael said but quickly regretted his words because when Sonny opened it to pay for their food, lentils and rice fell out of the leather wallet and spilled everywhere.  
“Rafael, what the hell?!” Sonny quickly paid the guy who was apparently weirded out by the look on his face and closed the door trying not to step on Rafael, who was now on the floor trying to pick up every single grain of rice.  
“NO!” Rafael yelled when he saw the broom Sonny was carrying. He froze. “You can’t- you are supposed to- Ok never mind.” Rafael stood up and grabbed the broom from Sonny’s hands who was still in shock and trying to process the whole situation. The older man was now cleaning the entrance, but he was also mumbling something in Spanish and Sonny couldn't tell if he was praying or ranting.  
“Rafael can you stop for a second! What the hell is going on?!” Rafael looked at him and sighed, he was defeated, there was nowhere to hide now, he had to face reality, he was a freak, and he was about to expose himself to his boyfriend.

He walked towards the kitchen isle and sat on one of the chairs, Sonny following him closely.  
“Sonny I’m weird”  
“Yeah, I know but that doesn’t explain much” Rafael slightly laughed at his boyfriend’s response. “Can you let me finish _amor_?” Sonny nodded.  
“I’m Cuban, I’m Latino, I grew up in a Latin household with Latin family and… traditions.” Sonny sat on one of the chairs too because he knew the story telling part might take a while.  
“You know, New Year is in a couple of days, and we have some… _cábalas_ , umm traditions, we always do. I’ve been doing this for almost 50 years of my life, and they work, or they seem to work ‘cause everything is being almost fine, well not almost, everything is fine and I’m happy, you are happy too right? And we are ok…” Rafael was mumbling again.  
“Rafael are you trying to tell me you are superstitious?” Sonny asked, almost amused by the way he was trying to explain one of the most normal things ever as if he killed a baby or something.  
“I wouldn’t say it like that, but the thing is that... well maybe… it’s just to make my mom happy and-”  
“Rafael what’s in the bag?” Rafael froze, he was not ready to explain what was in that stupid bag he asked Carmen to keep until he left but she apparently, didn’t get the message.  
“Rafael? What 's in the bag? It’s clearly related to this conversation and whatever is inside, I promise I won’t laugh if that’s what you are so scared of”

He was screwed, now his boyfriend was going to think he was insane. But there was no way out, so he sighed, stood up and went to grab the bag.  
He was walking as if he was going to be executed for his sins, but maybe he was just being dramatic.  
He gave the bag to Sonny and sat on his chair again waiting for whatever came next.  
Sonny opened the bag and found something… weird? It was not weird because it’s underwear and everyone wears underwear, but this pair was… unique?

“Red for love. And the small ribbons, green for money” Sonny raised one eyebrow at that comment “You say I’m high maintenance so leave me alone!” Rafael replied almost laughing, then he continued “yellow for happiness, white for health, blue for prosperity”.  
Sonny looked at the bag again “And you went to…” he read the brand and the address on it “the Bronx just to buy a pair?!”  
“Don’t be silly! It doesn’t work like that. You can’t just buy this for yourself, they have to be a gift. _Mami_ buys them for me every year, and she’s been calling because she wanted to know if you wanted a pair too,” Rafael felt how he was blushing from head to toe “because we are together now. I don’t know she’s crazy sometimes and oh! I mean, they have been red since I was 20, because my mom wanted grandchildren, before that they were white.”

Sonny just couldn’t hold it any longer and he laughed at that last part.  
“And that’s why I didn’t want to tell you, I’m a freaky old man” Rafael stood up and went to get a glass of water as if that was going to magically cure his embarrassment.

Sonny was laughing so hard he was almost crying, but when he noticed Rafael was clearly embarrassed by it, he went to hug him.

“Hey! listen to me, you are not a freaky old man. I admit this was funny, and I’m sorry I laughed, this is completely new to me! I know my _Nonna_ usually throws stuff out of the window at midnight for good fortune. I remember this poor old man who was hit on the head by her microwave in 2005, but I never thought you had your own ways to celebrate New Year too” He kissed his cheek, “and now I’m really curious about all of this, I actually have some theories about those lentils and the rice”.  
“They are for prosperity too, and to make sure, you’ll have enough the next year.” Rafael replied in a very shy voice.  
“Then it’s clever!” Sonny kissed Rafael again, this time on the lips. A quick sweet and reassuring kiss.  
“The only thing I need is to kiss my loved one at midnight” Rafael felt his whole body blush and offered Sonny a warm smile.  
“That is so sweet _amor_ , but that’s not enough for me.” He laughed.

* * *

On Thursday night everyone was at Liv’s apartment, except for the kids. Lucy was kind enough to have a sleepover with Noah, Billie, Jesse and Frannie at Amanda’s apartment.  
After dinner, Rafael was kinda nervous because he avoided explanations about the gigantic tupperware full of grapes he brought, not to mention, they were the center of attention because of their brand new matching suits and the fact that Sonny didn’t leave his side.  
Mike was talking to Nick at the phone because he went to spend New Year with his family in California. Liv and William were talking to Fin and Amanda about how William proposed on Christmas Eve while Sonny was serving some champagne for the toast at midnight.

“Hey, are you ok?” Sonny asked.  
“Yeah, I’m fine, just nervous. They will ask so many questions.”  
“Calm down, I’ll answer with you.”  
“Thank you, for everything.”  
“Love you so much babe.” And with that, Sonny offered him one of the 2 glasses with 12 grapes inside. Rafael smiled at him and took his champagne and his grapes each on one hand.  
“Now we wait.”

* * *

  
“10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR! _FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!_ ”

Sonny kissed Rafael and in a very quick motion as if it was rehearsed, both went under the table and started to eat their grapes as if there was no tomorrow. They only had one minute so it had to be quick.  
Rafael of course had no problem with it, he had a lot of practice since he was kid, so he was well prepared but Sonny, the poor man almost choked with his fifth grape.  
Rafael was laughing at Sonny who was now trying to breathe so he could finish them all.

“Sonny, _cariño. Amor_ stop! You’ll die!”  
“But- but I still have 4 wishes left,” Sonny said his mouth full of grapes.  
“And you won’t survive to enjoy your wishes if you die because of a grape!” Rafael laughed at his boyfriend who was extremely cute with all those grapes in his mouth looking like a giant 5-year-old. But what made it even funnier was the fact that the super tall man fit under the table.

He helped Sonny out and when they stopped laughing, they noticed everyone was looking at them with confused and weird looks.

“So, you were tryin’ to find out who dies first or…?” Fin was the one who broke the ice.  
“It’s a _cábala_.” Sonny said and took Rafael’s hand in his.  
“As Cubans, like most Latinos, we have different traditions when it comes to New year, and _Nochevieja_ ,” Rafael began to explain, “Some families eat a grape every time the bells ring until it’s midnight, and some others eat their grapes when it’s midnight, and each grape represents a wish for the upcoming year.”  
“and you had to do that... under the table?” William asked this time. Liv smacked him on the arm.  
“No, we do that to have... ummm good luck with love during the year.”  
“They actually have a lot of _cábalas_ , Raf explained all of them to me a couple days ago. They wear brand new clothes, that’s why we are wearing new suits, they put lentils and rice in their wallets for prosperity, run around the block with a suitcase if they want to travel, burn a… what did you call it babe?”  
“A _muñeco_ …”  
“Yes! That one made of old things, clean the house with scented water… Oh! and also the underwear-”  
“Sonny!” Rafael glanced at him “Oh god…”  
“The underwear?” Amanda asked smirking mischievously, “Are you wearing matching underwear too? I surely want to know about that.”

Rafael was silently begging for an earthquake or a tornado so could he ran away and hide instead of trying to find the words to explain the "underwear" meanwhile Sonny drank his champagne trying to gain some time.

“It’s just underwear. Each color represents something and sometimes if you want more than one thing you buy a colorful one or you add ribbons. See?”  
Everyone turned their heads to Mike who apparently knew about this tradition and was now proudly showing the waistband of his red boxers.  
Fin was laughing with Amanda and Mike looked at his dad who was in clear shock.

“What? Nick told me about that. We are wearing the same brand.”  
Rafael and Sonny laughed together.  
“Let me guess, his mom bought those for you guys.” Rafael asked Mike.  
“You bet, otherwise it doesn't work!” Mike winked.  
“Oh lord!” William drank what was left in his glass and everyone burst into laughter, including Olivia.

After calming down William and explaining to him it was completely normal for Latinos to do that for each other they were extremely grateful the kids were not there to hear their discussion about colored underwear with ribbons and other traditions. Too many questions they prefer to avoid for a couple of years.

“So, just let me ask one thing,” Amanda said to Rafael who was now much more comfortable talking about his cábalas with everyone, “Is there any one of those that can get me a stable relationship?”  
“There’s nothin’ for that Amanda,” Fin replied with a chuckle and Amanda glared at him.  
“A toast!” Liv interrupted with a laugh. “To us, our family, to an amazing year, and to all those _cábalas_ … Cheers!”  
“Cheers!”  
“Now Rafael, promise next year, you’ll help us with those, because William and I need all the help we can get.”  
“Sure Liv, we can all get ready with our _cábalas_ for next year.”

Sonny leaned into Rafael and whispered, “I really love the squad but now let’s get out of here ‘cause I wanna know if that red underwear works.”

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s it!  
> What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments. Personally, I think that Rafael being embarrassed it’s the cutest and funniest thing on earth!  
> Special thanks to Sarah for the beta and to Bri for the italian facts ♥  
> Thanks for reading! And also…  
> HAPPY NEW YEAR 2021! :)
> 
> Psss: Here's Bri's [Barson](https://t.co/nhSDEmsULk?amp=1) version


End file.
